The interests of motorcycles, skateboards, and peeps into a lifestyle...Suicide Wheels: meant to mean repect to the wheels we love that can take ourselves out at any moment...

Friday, July 19, 2013

Riding with Juan 1

In installment one of this ridiculous segment here on SW
I’ll discuss my take on gear.

But first let me state clearly that this is a compilation of
my own opinions based on my life experiences (riding for 30 years, some dirt
racing and a career in the automotive safety world). None of which make me an
expert in any way shape or form and what I have to say is just that… opinion.
You need to learn these lessons for yourself and don’t blindly take my word for
it. Given enough time with me in a room you’d quickly come to the same
conclusion as my wife… “He’s lucky to have made it this long”.

So gear… the opinions on this are usually strong and divided
sharply. I’ll take a little different approach here, or at least I hope to. *Disclaimer: on the street I typically don’t wear
a helmet & I loathe leather coats but I do wear jeans and closed toed shoes…
just the way I roll you do what you want to do. On the track however, I would recommend
always gearing up the environment is much more controlled and the limits are
intentionally pushed.

First off let’s put this all in prospective. There are
people, some probably reading this, that will call this stuff safety gear. I think out the gate that’s a flaw and misleading, none of this stuff makes you “safe” only you can do
that. It's designed with the intention of offering some protection in the event
of a crash. Key words: “some” & “in the event”… all that means is you’re
trying to change your odds based on believing a crash is likely. Anyone else
find that odd? Why the heck would you get on anything where you thought a crash
was likely???

What about “safety”? Here’s
what Helen Keller had to say about it: “Security is mostly a superstition. It
does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is
either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

I know, I know… some of you right now are closing this or
saying to your screen “but why play the odds, why tempt fate?!?!” STOP IT!!
Getting out of bed is playing the odds, swinging a leg over a bike is playing
the odds, putting on that helmet is just changing of the odds at best. I mean
in some countries drinking water is playing the odds and I’m willing to bet you
have no problem standing in a wet, soap covered shower where a fall is at least
as likely as a bike crash….

The most important gear you can have? Your brain!

I won’t get much into what I do because it’s distracting but
I will say this, in the US we try to protect people from vehicles as if they
were plotting against us… static vehicles are not dangerous at all, it’s only
after you add a person they become troublesome. In other countries they train
people how to survive and operate vehicles better. So when you ride the best
thing you can have is a sharp mind.

- Take the MSF course it’s a great tool.

- Practice! Find a big lot or a local track and work on those
skills.

The majority of accidents come from the rider making a
series of miscalculations that compound. The initial problem is typically not
enough to take you down. It’s how you react, where you focus and the next 2-4
decisions that determine how you come out of it. Remember always think and see
big picture. Not only have I seen this a million times, but I’ve been bitten by
it... Car cuts you off, you’re angry (I mean this is your life we’re talking
about) you focus that anger on telling the driver they suck and BAM something
else is in your path, you wasted the seconds needed to react on being angry, showing it and down you go. We all know that car drivers are gonna do things in
the name of not seeing you, it’s no surprise but in the end only you can
control the outcome.

Gear: I’m not gonna get deep into what’s good and what’s not;
there are places that have done it for you, such as Ride Apart. But I will say
this... select gear wisely! If you’re gonna wear it get stuff that is
comfortable, functional and suited to your style of riding. It needs to keep
you warm (or cool), dry as well as offer protection from the elements and in a
crash. This is exactly why I don’t care for leather jackets, I can never find
one that fits well or functions the way I want. That sort of thing can be VERY
distracting and that leads to bigger troubles….

Do some research, try some
stuff on and make an informed decision. * Be very leery of “studies” often they
are in controlled environments and the “anomalies” are tossed out. If you’ve
ridden long then you know our environment is out of control and the anomalies
are the only things that really matter.

I guess this is good for now. From here I can move on to the
more anecdotal stuff about how I’ve survived and the crazy stuff I’ve seen… I
know this is non-typical kind of stuff and there are those “enthusiasts” that
would rip me to shreds over it, but I’m trying to capture a common man real
deal feel here. I’m confident in my riding skills against most anyone else’s
though I know I’m not Michael Dunlop; and spare me the “you can’t hold this opinion
and have gone down hard….” You have NO idea…